The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-04-28
THE SNAKE KING.
BY WALLACE Z. REED.

with the rising sun, and return late in
the afternoon, in order to avoid the
midday heat.
The Matson plantation stretched
for miles along the Alabama river.
The nearest white neighbor was ten
miles off, and it took three hours to
reach the village of Pyramid.
Matson and his wife stood on the
broad piazza. looking down the slop-
inglawn to the road. where Black Tom
was waiting with the horse and buggy
Far away to the right wl<aths OF dense
fog indicted the winding course OF the
river. Not breath OF air stirred the
semi-tropical foliage OF the trees, and
the atmosphere was laden with the
perfume OF thousands of flowers and
aromatic plants.
sWhat does this mean?" said Mat.
son, as several negroes turned in from
the road, and approached the house,
bearing in their strong arms a limp
and motionless figure.
"Oh, John, it is dead mani! ex.
claimed little Mrs. Matson.
The planter ran down to meet the
men. They were all field hands, and
he knew every black face in the group
.Hello. Sam. what is the matter?
What ;S ,r, he asked the leader
s'Ter tell de troof, Marss Boss,
renlied Sam, nervously scratching his
head, Use so plumb done put GU
bout dis ting dat l dunno muffin
Dis yer white man must be seeker
dead, dunno which. We found him
down by de landin', an ne list bruns
him erlong."
as he dead?" gasped Mrs. Matson
mo, but he is unconscious" said
her husband, who had been examln
ing the stranger. "We must take care
of him, of course. ] hate to 60 OFT to
town now, but l can't help it. III
wait half an hour or so and see what
turns Up"
The man was carried to large and
comfortable room and carefully put
to bed by Sam and another negro
Then Mr.. Matson felt his pulse ant
took a good look at him.
The Strengthening, sallow face, lear
to the point OF emaciation, with the
tangled black hair around it, had g
weird look with it's background o
white pillows. A small dose OF brandy
was forced through The tightly closed
mouth, and the man suddenly opened
his ewes. They were such shining
black orbs that Sam fell back mutter:
- i1s.------
HFo' de Lawd!'
Half an hour later Matson went to
his wife and said:
"Well, l must 60. Aunt Lucy is
looking after our patient, and yon viii
do the best you can. The case does
not reoulre a doctor. Some beef tea
today and something solid to-mor
row will bring the fellow up. He il
nearly dead from exposure and star
yation."
"But who"
"Oh. yes," answered Matson, "you
want to know who he is, where he !:
from. and why he is in this fix. 1t II
no time to question him now. III
looks like foreigner, a Cuban or per
haps a Gypsy. He speaks little En-
glish, and that is all l know. You nee6
not be afraid of him. He is as feeble
as an infant, and little withered ole
chap with the queerest little head II
the world. 1t is long and narrow, anc
looks more like snakes head thar
anything else"
ooh, John, you brighten mel"
ssBut it does" remarked Johr
LAUGHING, "and now that / think O
his snaky eyes and his sinuous motion
it strikes me that snaky Is the best
description that could be given OF him
IghI 1t makes my flesh crawl to lool
at HIM. But that is neither here no.
there. When get back I'll attend t.
him."
And giving his wife kiss. MastoI
ran down to the buggy, jumped m ant
dashed off on his way to Pyramid.
Lett alone, so lar as white faces
were concerned, with a mysterious
stranger in the house, Mrs. Matsoi
felt a pecu,iar nervousness which sh'
could not shake off. For awhile sh'
busted herself experimenting house
hold affairs, but finally she could no
resist the temptation to pass the 900
of the sick mans room and JOCK III
There he was, swarthy and wrinkled
and looking more like a snake thar
ever. The serpentine head raised it
self with an arching motion. and tn
little black eyes sparkled like bead
"a moor Mrs. Matson glanced into TIN
room. AS for Aunt Lucy, she follow
ed her mistress into the hall.
"De Lawd hab mussy," she said
"but Marse John otter stay at hom
stidder trapsin' of ter town. Da
man in dar skeer me ter def.
The lady of the house said somsthin
reassuring. and went into the pafiof
where size vainly tried to amuse her
self in VARIOUS ways.
"How time clrass!" she exclaimed
as she went to q window and looke'
out in the direction OF the river.
Did she see q snake bAsking in tn
sunshine directly under the window
She looked intently for moment. l
was q thick, ugly looking moccasln
fully five feet long. While she was gaz
ING J4G VjClOuS AhCtuAOA AsSADO~$
head, and returned her stare with
look of intelligence.
1t was moccasin locality. and Mrs
Matson did not care a snap OF her I'm
ger for few snakes around her iron
door. She was accustomed to flint
them in her flower beds, and some
times they made their way into tn
house, but on this particular mornin
she was not herself. She turned he
head and saw another snake.
With an uncomfortable shudder tn
nervous little lady walked 4cross tn
hall into another room, and locke
out towards the gordon. What wa
that dark thing just outside thef fence
There could be no doubt ah0Htit.
was another snake.
By this tims Mrs. Matsors Ibloo
was up. Calling Sally, one Of the sci
wants. she sent her to the kitchen t
order the cooks boy Joe TO make
csncuit of the house and Kill ever
snake in sight,
in two minutes Sally returned Wit
aface almost bleached.
- ~~~n da foY ~ ek